Vorruk
The Ringdom of Vorruk is a sovereign Ringdom on the planet Torei, in the deep rural Antipodes, far from the space elevator. Initially established as a republic following the collapse of the Shanan Porte nearly three centuries ago, the Ringdom devolved into an Oligarchic Council ruling alongside the regional religious establishment, based around the White Church. The rise of the Black Court and its practice of Marionettes has culminated recently in a political coup, and many international observers expect some manner of foreign intervention to result. History Foundation Like most of the Antipodes, the earliest records of society in what was to become Vorruk date back to the Sharecropping Wars, the period of violent internecine conflict following Torean humanity's liberation from polar AI rule. Factual accounts from this period are rare, and most histories rely upon a handful of existent data caches and oral traditions. Petty kingdoms rose and fell, while subsistence agriculture dominated the economic landscape. As it did elsewhere on Torei, political power eventually began to consolidate, eventually culminating in the grand campaigns of Emperor Khosrow IV, the Daemonslayer. By the time of the Princess Thrall, the Vorrukian lands had been consumed by the Shanan Porte, and merely constituted one of it's dependent territories. Rule by the Shanan Porte The consolidation of Shanan control over Vorruk coincided with the peace achieved by the Princess Thrall and her Council of Regents, Shanan being one of the five imperial courts pledged to the Thrall, but internal conflict continued along the Porte's aristocratic leadership. Against the backdrop of imperial intrigue, however, Vorruk managed to flourish as the breadbasket of the empire, it's vast countryside seeing yearly crop yield increases. A system of large manorial estates centralized control and production locally, with labor provided by intensive use of chattel slavery. As the centuries passed, however, these estates accrued a growing list of powers, rights, and privileges-- allowing them to eventually eclipse the power of the Porte's regional governors. This simmering conflict between local elites and the Shanan Porte's imperial bureaucracy reached a boiling point once Emperor Peroz issued what history remembers as the Petition to the Poles, and the resulting schism ripped the empire apart. Standing with the White Church, the Republic of Vorruk was declared twenty-one days later. Modern History War with the Shanan Porte saw the defeat of the ancient empire, and its retreat into isolation. Vorruk returned to peace with a representational government for the first time in its history, but the truly democratic period proved to be short indeed. The manorial system of agriculture remained, and it was not long before the ruling families came to dominate the fragile legislature, eventually managing to replace it entirely with a Small Council. Formed from representatives elected by the richest families of the Ringdom, the Small Council settled into a quiet peace, even as Offworlders made first contact on the other side of the planet. A distant threat was perceived, but in truth danger to the Ringdom came from within. The Black Coup Much regarding the Black Court remains difficult to understand, both due to recency of the coup in Vorruk, and because of the secretive nature of the group. What is clear is that Marionettes began appearing in Vorruk a few years prior, eventually progressing from occasionally referenced oddities to formal laws being passed against them, as fears arouse that they originated from Shanan's Daemonwhisper heresy. Vorruk's Small Council never perceived the Black Court to be an actual threat, an underestimation that proved fatal to the oligarchic council's control. The role of Veronica Alleris in the Coup remains controversial, but all sources agree that she held a seat on the last pre-Black Small Council, and led the initial arrest of her fellow Council members. Following Vorruk's constitution, by the letter if not by intent, she utilized their arrest to assume sole control over the Council and to replace the others with nine anonymous Marionettes-- before submitting to the so called 'installation-of-strings' and becoming another Marionette herself. Government Before the Coup Immediately prior to the Black Court's coup, Vorruk had operated under a nominally constitutional oligarchy for several centuries. Originally founded as a democratic republic, the elected legislature had eventually been disbanded, replaced by the Small Council, elected by the Manorial heads of the largest landholders of the Ringdom. A complex system of traditional rights and privileges governed individual seats on the Council, with much value put in seniority. After the Coup Following the Black Coup, the Small Council appears to continue to exist, but is not wholly occupied by Marionettes. Just who in turn controls those subjected to the installation-of-strings remains a highly sought-after mystery, as a hierarchy appears to exist among those locked into Marionette suits, but attempts to establish who heads the organization have thus far found only circular patterns of leadership. Various interested parties, both foreign and domestic, have a variety of theories, ranging from Daemonwhisper control, to a singular mastermind heading the ongoing revolution, to Mazos and Dahom themselves working from the shadows, but the mystery remains. Whatever the reality, with Civil War apparently avoided, Marionettes continue to extend their influence over the Ringdom, as refugees capable of fleeing flock to neighboring nations. Culture Prior to the Black Coup, Vorruk was usually considered representational of 'traditional Torei', with its widespread chattel slavery, full legal powers invested in the classical Ministries, and a focus on agriculture. Offworlder influence has remained minimal, largely given the distance between the Ringdom and the Way Up. The White Church's White Citadel, the largest freestanding structure on the planet, was an exception to the generally rural nature of the Ringdom, dominated by grand Manorial estates and attendant service-orientated villages. Roads quality was generally considered archaic by modern standards, and ponygirl carriages remain as the dominant form of transportation. The White Church was considered foundational to Vorrukai culture, as it both represented independence from the Shanan Porte and reinforced traditional Vorrukai values of labor, service, and honor. Daemon worship and interaction was strictly outlawed, while the Priestly caste of the White Church operated primarily via a series of traveling ministrants, their funding a continual source of concern given the traditional taxation exemptions given to the Manorial families, and the intensive financial strain placed on the Church to maintain the White Citadel. Ministries and Diplomatic Relations Vorrukai cooperation with the various Ministries was extensive prior to the coup, with the Ministry of Truants, Ministry of Wombs, Ministry of Improvements, and Ministry of Sires all active and legally empowered within the Ringdom. Since the Coup, direct contact between what constitutes the ruling government and the Ministries has been sporadic, but existent-- the Black Court at the very least answers inquiries provided to any of its Marionettes. Like most of its former territories, Vorruk maintained an antagonistic relationship with what remains of the Shanan Porte. Ambassadors are not exchanged, and extradition rights do not exist if not handled directly through the Ministry of Truants. Persecution of Shanan's Daemonwhispers is also widespread, and the faith is considered both heretical and illegal. Directly bordering the secretive Ringdom of Diarecai, Vorruk had maintained cordial if distant relations. Since the Coup, however, rumors and conspiracy theories - often mutually contradictory - abound about the relationship between the two secretive ringdoms. Among them are that the two ringdoms are working together in service to the AIs, that Diarecai abducts Marionettes, that Diarecai is ''responsible ''for the Marionettes, and that Diarecai is quietly at war with the Black Court. Relations with Yunkvorr, another former territory of the Shanan Porte, have been comparatively friendly. Excess slaves from the Yunkvorr breeders have traditionally been highly valued in Vorruk, where the agricultural focus of the Ringdom produced a continual need for freshly enslaved labor. Gender Roles Men As with most traditionally orientated Ringdoms, Vorruk has been long dominated by relatively tiny fraction of men who exist within its population. Hereditary laws empower men over women within the aristocracy under most circumstances, and among the lower classes large households are common, with men leading them. Since the Coup, many noble men have fled or been forced into exile by the Black Court. Those that remain among the lower classes, however, have been generally ignored by the Marionettes. How the Black Court will persist, however, given its apparently female only membership, however, is not clear-- given Torean physiology, male/female relations are required to produce more women. Women Making up the vast majority of the population, women in Vorruk have traditionally subsisted as slaves and property, beholden to Masters and Lords. A strictly enforced curfew is maintained throughout the Ringdom, while its rural nature prevents the widespread availability of the Lead system. Category:Ringdoms